Twist of Fate
by destinyschild02
Summary: War has always plagued the land of Hyrule, but never has it hurt so much. The Hero of Time, close to the hearts of all Hylains and particularly the Princess Zelda, has been taken away by a cruel twist of fate, conjured by the Queen of Termina. As the war between Hyrule and Termina rages on, Zelda asks her herself what she'd do for true love and the chance to set things right.


"Tell me Jonas. What do you see?"

On a hill high above the battle field, a young woman, hidden behind a purple cloak stood with her personal knight Jonas, standing tall and proud in his white armour by her side. The two watched the war between the Terminians and the Hylains below, which had been raging on for weeks. The battle field, which used to be the Hylian's beautiful Hyrule Field, was now arid and stained with blood as the two cultures fought for control of the holy land.

Jonas took a sideward glance at this mistress. "I don't know my lady" he replied in low, gruff voice. "I guess I see fighting."

"Really?" The woman asked in a rich voice. "Because I see potential."

Jonas peered back at the battlefield with a frown before he replied, "Potential, my lady?"

"Oh yes," the woman nodded her head. "Lots of potential. You see, you can gain so much more than your goal in war. You can use the fighting as a distraction to gain riches, or a way to find out information about your enemy when they are not looking."

The young woman paused for a moment as a cruel smile formed underneath her hood. "But most of all" she said slyly. "You can use it as a perfect opportunity to hit where the heart lies."

Jonas nodded his head as he peered at the down at the bloody battle that was commencing. "That is true lady Nimshira" he agreed. "War can take a devastating toll on a country."

"Yes" Nimshira said in bored tone. "But that is not what I am getting at Jonas." She paused for a moment. "I am talking about something more, personal to all Hylians."

"More personal?" Jonas asked, pointing down at the battle field where the Hylians and Terminians clashed weapons. "How can this war be more personal? I believe the Hylians are not happy about us declaring war on them for their land's power."

"Yes, but as usual Jonas you are missing the point I am making" Nimshira sighed, rolling her eyes from underneath her cloak. "But in this instance you ignorance is forgiven and not your fault."

"It's not?"

Turning to face Jonas, Nimshira took a step back from her trusty knight. Raising her arms and closing her eyes, she began to mumble some ancient words as she moved her arms in a circular pattern. As Jonas watched this mistress in confusion, the air around the two grew hot and still, the battle cries from the field below drifting away. Suddenly, a grey mist began to form in the centre of Nimshira's circle, taking a circular form. As it built up, the centre of the grey circle began to take on an image of a handsome young man clad in green.

Nimshira spoke the final words and opened her eyes, stepping away from the image while keeping a delicate hand underneath it. "Tell me Jonas," she said quietly. "What do you know of this man?"

Jonas stepped forward and peered at the image, squinting his eyes. "My lady it looks like an adult version of the Hylian boy that saved Termina from the moon many years back."

"Very good," Nimshira nodded her head in satisfaction. "I can tell you this Jonas. This man" she said, pointing at the image levitating in her hand. "Is essential to the second phase of our plan."

Jonas's face lit up. "So you are ready to inform me of it?" he asked hopefully.

Nimshira shut her hand and with a puff, the grey image of the man disappeared. "Yes" she replied with a sly smile. Pointing down at the battle below, Nimshira looked away from her knight. "You see, this is why I brought you out here, to see if it was the time was right to put into action."

Nimshira gave a small chuckle as she watched the Terminian army slowly advance forward, pushing the Hylians back and closer towards Hyrule Castle. "And by the looks of things down on the battle field" she jeered. "The time is perfect."

Jonas grinned. "I am glad the time for taking Hyrule is near."

Nimshira nodded and held out a delicate arm. "So, dear General of my army" she drawled. "Will you escort the Queen of Termina back to camp so we may discuss phase two?"

Jonas bowed his head, this white armour clanking together as he did so. "Of course my lady," he replied as he took her arm and began to help her down the steep hill, carefully aiding her while she trampled over the beautiful flowers that grew there. "Nothing would give me more pleasure."

"Good" Nimshira replied as they reached the bottom of the hill, leaving the cries and images of the battle field behind. "Because we have many things to discuss."

~!~!~!~!~

The walk back to the Terminian camp was a long one, consisting of lots of climbing through trees and shrubbery. It was a difficult trek and most of the Terminian soldiers complained about it as they battled their way through the fernery just so they could reach the war itself.

Although it was a treacherous path, the Lady Nimshira had not chosen it for the camp's location without reason. Apart from the fact it was difficult to pass, it was an area no one could pass through without getting noticed. And this made it easy to spot intruding Hylian soldiers.

Never the less, Jonas and the Lady Nimshira made it back to the camp in one piece and within great time. Nimshira and Jonas passed through the tents of Terminian soldiers, avoiding the weapons and the injured, heading towards Nimshira's royal tent.

"So my dear Jonas," Nimshira said as she flung aside the pieces of cloth that was the entrance to her dark tent. "Do you have any idea of what the second phase of our plan might be?"

"No my lady" Jonas replied as he followed her into the dark tent, carefully moving the cloth aside as he entered. "I don't."

"Really now?" Nimshira drawled as she unbuckled her cloak and flung aside, revealing long, curly, flaming red hair and pair of beady, purple eyes. "I would have thought my general would have some idea by now."

"Well, are you planning to manipulate this man, my lady?" Jonas asked as he watched his mistress walk over to a high pile of books and began to rummage through it. "Force him to betray his people?"

"No" Nimshira replied in a bored tone while picking up a book and looking at it before throwing it aside and redoing the same thing with the next one. "This man has an unbreakable spirit. He would not bend to our will."

"Then what is phase two my lady?" Jonas asked, confusion clear in his voice.

After looking through several books, Nimshira picked up a large antique book and looked at it before her face broke into a large smile and she snapped her fingers, making the book fly over to the centre of the dark tent before flipping open to a page with a large spell on it. "Patients Jonas" Nimshira finally replied, not looking at her knight. "I am about explain everything too you."

Jonas remained silent as Nimshira went a chest and opened it up, carefully lifting a large, wooden staff before turning around and walking to the centre of the room. "Before I began planning this war Jonas" Nimshira began, inspecting the staff. "I used my abilities in sorcery to see into the future."

"And?" Jonas asked.

Nimshira stopped inspecting the staff for a moment and looked up at Jonas who stood by the entrance to the tent. "What I saw was not good" she replied grimily.

A shocked expression feel over Jonas's face as he opened this mouth to speak, but he closed it when Nimshira held up her hand, warning him to stay silent while she spoke. "Every possible future I saw, always ended badly" she continued, anger clear in her voice. "It seemed that this man, Link, was always destined to stop us" she spat.

"Oh, Link was our hero's name" Jonas smiled fondly, remembering what Link had done in Termina. "I had forgotten that."

As the anger subsided in Nimshira, she took a deep breathe and continued on, ignoring Jonas's outburst. "But that's when I had an idea" she spoke calmly. "What if there was a spell that could change destiny?"

Jonas frowned at his mistress. "Like a spell that could stop him from showing up to stop us?" He asked.

"Hm yes" Nimshira said hesitantly, running her hands up and down the staff. "But that's not what I had in mind. But I shall get to that later." Raising the staff up high in the air, Nimshira plunged it into the ground in front of the ancient book.

She looked up at Jonas who stared at the staff in wonder.

"You're probably wondering what I am doing" she said arrogantly, pulling a smug look. "You see. After months of searching the ancient archives below Termina Castle, I found a spell that will allow destiny to be changed. But, I also found the spell needs a host for it to be used."

Nimshira chuckled. "Unfortunately the host required was not a living being but just a physical form" she said, sounding disappointed, while pointing at the staff. "So this staff will act as it's host. Once I have embedded the spell into it, all I will need to do is touch the hero with the staff and say the ancient words."

"And then that will guarantee victory for Termina!" Jonas clapped his hands together, impressed. "This is truly, a wonderful plan."

Nimshira shook her head. "There is a catch" she explained, not looking the slightest bit concerned. "The spell, although powerful, does not change destiny itself, merely opens up an opportunity for it to be."

Jonas frowned. "So? What does this mean?"

Nimshira put her hands on the staff before looking up at Jonas with her piercing gaze. "It means Jonas" she said sternly, "that you will have to permanently change Link's destiny, so he may never foil our plans."

Her eyes narrowed and she cruelly smiled. "It means you must kill him."

* * *

Walking up the stars laid with red, velvet carpet to the grand doors of her bedroom, Princess Zelda, the Sage of Time threw open her doors and slammed them shut.

Heaving out a great big sigh, Zelda slumped against the oak doors as she buried her face in her hands. She was close to her breaking point. This war between Hyrule and Termina was finally about to crack her.

Zelda stifled a small sob as she reminisced about the past few weeks of war. Over the past few weeks, she had attended over twenty war meetings to discuss strategies to end the war, but so far each one had failed. Attempts to discuss peace with Termina's queen, Nimshira had all but failed and it drove Zelda crazy.

Having just come from a war meeting, Zelda could fell that the ideas formed in there to end the war were becoming desperate and more dangerous. And Zelda felt she was to blame for not coming up with more effective strategies, since she had the triforce of wisdom.

"I am a terrible princess" Zelda sniffed.

Straightening herself up, Zelda wiped the tears from her eyes and walked over to the other side of her large bedroom to where a simple chest of draws sat. Reaching for the top draw, Zelda opened it revealing many papers on political matters. Lifting them up with a gloved hand, Zelda reached underneath them with her free hand and pulled out the Ocarina of Time.

Of course there was one last option.

"If I went back in time start everything again" Zelda whispered, holding the ocarina up to the light so she could take a proper look at it. "I could stop this war from happening." But Zelda had been told many times by her nurse maid Impa and Link, that option was riddled with casualties and last resort only.

A knock came from Zelda's bedroom door, causing the princess to jump in fright, the ocarina bouncing out of her hands and onto the carpet. "Zelda?" Link called through the door, opening it and stepping inside the royal chambers they shared. "Zelda are you alright…"

Link's eyes immediately fell to the blue ocarina lying on the red carpet. "Zelda?" he asked slowly, looking back up at Zelda. "What are you doing with the Ocarina of Time?"

"Nothing, nothing" Zelda insisted, quickly reaching down for it and putting it back into the draw. "Just looking at it."

"Are you sure?" Link asked, closing the door and walking up to his princess.

"Oh quite," Zelda gave a shaky laugh, wiping her eyes again, making sure that any remaining tears were gone. "So what brings you here?"

Link frowned at Zelda. "You left the war meeting so suddenly. I came to see if you were alright." Link pointed at Zelda. "And by the looks of things they aren't. You've been crying."

Zelda shook her head, trying to give a false smile. "No I haven't" she laughed. "I am fine."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Really Zelda? I've know you for a long time and I know what you look like after you cry. I know you've been crying, you can't lie to me."

Zelda stared at Link for a moment before a silver tear formed in the corner of her right eye before spilling down her face. "Nothing gets past you" Zelda sniffed as Link stepped towards her. "I can't hide anything!"

"What wrong?" Link asked tenderly as he wiped a tear away from Zelda's eye.

"Well… I'm sure I am just being silly," Zelda closed her eyes and shook her head. "But I feel I am not being a good leader for my people. Leading them into this war, failing to protect them and end it. I am failure."

Grasping Zelda's chin and raising her head so she was looking him directly in the eye, Link gave her a stern look. "Don't ever say that Zelda!" He said sternly. "You are not a failure. War is difficult and you have done an excellent job on managing your country."

"Really?" Zelda said sarcastically. "All my plans to end this war have failed so far. How is that doing well?" Zelda gave a loud sniff. "And you're going on a dangerous mission tomorrow to draw out the Master Sword, just like you said in the meeting" she concluded. "If I had done well, you wouldn't have to go to such extreme lengths."

"Ah Zelda" Link gave a small chuckle. "I was always going to retrieve the Master Sword no matter how bad the war had gotten." Link gave Zelda a comforting look. "Plus, I know it'll be dangerous so that's why I decided to take a small group of men with me. That way, Termina will not discover the entrance to the Sacred Realm and the power they so desire."

"I am still not happy about it" Zelda grumbled looking away. "What if something happens to you?"

Link shook his head. "I am sure nothing will," he said kindly, kissing Zelda's forehead.

Zelda looked up at Link before pulling him into a hug, snuggling into his chest. "Thankyou for talking with me" she said. "You always know how to make me feel better." Zelda smiled. "You're too good for me. I don't deserve you."

Link grinned as he wrapped his arms around Zelda. "Anything to help." He paused for a moment. "I am sure when this is all over, we'll be smiling."

Zelda sighed and nodded her head. "I am sure" she agreed.


End file.
